Protective covering



vMarch 26, 1935.

L. F. SALLEY PROTECTIVE COVERING Filed Oct. 25, 1930 ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 26, 1935 UNITED v STATES PATENT OFFICE PROTECTIVEv COVEBING LeonvF. Salley, Darien, Conn., assigner to Du Pont cellophane Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of- Delaware Application october za, 1930, sei-m No. 496.571

8 Claims.

be overcome by refusing permission to handle the Y articles, sincev in numerous cases such handlingis essential for the sale. For example, it is well known that a golf player cannot be sold va golf club unless he is'thoroughly satised and more or less convinced that the club will considerably improve his game. 'Ihis satisfaction can only be developed by permitting the prospective purchaser to try out the club under operating conditions. ture golf course and, perhaps, even a skilled attendant so that the customer may subject the club to the purpose for which it is intended.

Friction and considerable use of these clubs rel sult in the grips or handles becoming scratched,

marred; soiled, stained with perspiration or otherwise damaged so that they become unsightly and in many instances unsaleable. After a golfer has selected a club by trial, he cannot be prevailed upon -to take a diil'erent one from stock because of the belief that the latter is not identical in feel, weight, balance, etc. with the on which he has tried. At the same time he is r'- luctant to take -an unsightly but otherwise satisfactory stick. i

Covering the handle with paper, cloth or similar materials is not satisfactory because the wrapper is loose lor becomes loosened and thus a very excellent club may make a poor showing because of this accidental condition. Moreover, such wrappers do not give the customer the true feel which is so desirable to him.

The situation attending the sale of other sporting goods, including tennis rackets, hockey sticks, shing tackle and baseball bats, is substantially the same. Even with such articles as walking sticks and umbrellas there is a strong impulse to determine if the article is precisely suited to the prospective customer and the handling very often results in the shop-worn condition above pointed out.-

I have found that by applying an undried or wet cap or band over the grip portion of the article and subsequently drying said cap or; band 'whereby the cap or band 'shrinks in position,

` there results a protective covering whereby injury, damage andsoillng as above mentioned are ted.

`elimina,

To this end many stores provide a minia- It is therefore an object of this invention to provide articles which arehandled in the course of the sale thereof with a protective covering con-y f:

sisting of a cap or band shrunk in position.v

A specic object of this invention is to provide fthe handles or grip portions of sporting goods, v including golf clubs, tennis rackets, iishingtackle, j hockey sticks, baseball f b'atfs and other articles," such as walkin'gsticks umbrellas, with attractive .coverings consisting of la cap orvbandof l lregenerated cellulose produced from cellulose Iso' lutions, such as viscose, andfshrunkfin place.

Other objects willi appear from thefollovvingy description, l appendedl claims; and accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and illustrating a specific embodiment of the invention and in which: y

Figure l illustrates the grip portion of a golf club in elevation provided with a protective covering in accordance with the principles of this invention, said covering being shown in section,

Figure 2 illustrates a vetrical section of a band, and

Figure 3 illustrates a vertical section of a cap.

The invention in its broad aspects contemplates the application of means to the handle or grip portion of various articles includingl sporting goods, such as golf clubs, tennis rackets, fishing tackle, hockey sticks, baseball bats, etc. and other articles, suchv as walking canes, umbrellas and the like, whereby said articles and particularly the handle portions thereof are protected from damage and being soiled. In accordance with the principles of this invention, the desired results are obtained by disposing a cap or band in the wet or undried condition on the portion of the article to be protected. The cap or band is then permitted t0 dry in the atmosphere or is subjected to artificial means whereby the drying is effected. Upon drying, the cap or band shrinks and closely conforms to the shape of the article on which it is disposed. Because the cap and/or band is so thin and conforms so tightly and snugly to'the article, no diiliculty is encountered' in approximating the true feel of the article without the protective covering. It desired, certain materials, such as pigments or other comminuted material, may be added to the solution from which the cap or band is produced with the result that the covering is slightly roughened in feel and more closely approximates that of the true grip. It is apparent that the covering may be permanent but is preferably temporary since, if the covering becomes unsightly, the dealer may remove it and substitute a clean one which will readily shrink in to place on drying.

In order to more clearly explain the invention, it is hereby described in connection with golf clubs. It is, however to be understood that the same principles are equally applicable to the materials of the classes hereinbefore described and that, even though the invention is specifically explained in connection with golf clubs, it is not restricted thereto.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference numerals designate like parts, the reference numeral 1 designates the Shaft of a golf club, the grip portion of which is spirally wrapped or wound with a tape or strip 2 of a yieldable material, such as rubberized fabric or leather. The top portion of the winding 2 and the lower extremity thereof are whipped with twine or fine wire, as indicated by the reference numeral 3. Disposed on the grip portion and on the winding is a seamless tubular member such as a cap 4 or band 5 consisting of cellulose regenerated from cellulosic solutions, such as viscose. In actual practice the caps or bands of regenerated cellulose are supplied to the manufacturer or merchant in the undried condition and in this state slipped on the portion of the club to be covered. The wet cap or band is then permitted to dry either under atmospheric or artificial conditions. Upon drying it shrinks to a great extent and very intimately conforms to the contour and size of the grip. When the tape 2 is of a yieldable material such as leather, the shrinkage of the caps or bands may exert a compressive force which tends to smooth the Same. Because of the thinness of the cap or band and its close intimate contact with the winding, it approximates the true feel of the grip. However, if desired, other material, such as pigments or other comminuted material, may be added to the cellulosic solution from which the cap or band is made, So that the covering possesses a slightly roughened feel and thus more closely approximates the true feel of the club.

As is apparent from the foregoing, the cap or band may consist of regenerated cellulose which is greaseproof and may be gently washed when soiled. By virtue of these characteristics the prospective customer is given an opportunity to actually try several of the clubs and is 'able to select one which best satisfies him and which will be in its new and unsoiled condition. If the covering does become soiled or unsightly, it may be quickly and easily replaced Without any great effort. Since normally the covering is transparent, the article is exposed and visible. It is, of course, obvious that the covering may be colored, printed or otherwise decorated to embellish and enhance its beauty. It is to be further understood that, when transparent coverings are employed, labels or tags bearing a trade mark, price or. similar notation may be placed on lthe article prior to applying the covering, and that this data will be evident to the purchaser. Prior to use, the cap or band may be removed in any suitable way.

The cap 4 or band 5 is defined in the foregoing as extending over the grip portion of the article. It is, of course, to be understood that the exact size or length of the cap or band is not essential to the success of this invention. It may, as previously described, cover the grip portion; on the other hand, it may be made of such length that it covers the entire length of the shaft or indeed the entire club.

Though the invention has been specifically described in connection with caps and bands consisting of regenerated cellulose, it is not restricted thereto. It is apparent the caps and bands of any material which shrink in drying, such as, for

instance, cellulose acetate, may be used with equal success.

Since it is obvious that various changes may be made in the specic details above set forth Without departing from the spirit or nature of this invention, the invention is not restricted thereto except as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The described steps in the method of treating unsmoothed leather hand grips on athletic implements which consists in snugly applying to the surface of the grip a pellicular coating in an undried or unset condition, said coating being formed of a material having the property of shrinking in the drying or setting of the same and then permitting the coating to shrink whereby it will exert compressive force upon the surface of the grip.

2. As an article of manufacture, an athletic implement having a hand grip applied thereto of yieldable material with a removable non-adhesive pellicular coating on said yielding material, said pellicular coating being substantially impervious to air and being tightly engaged with said grip whereby to exert a mechanically compressive force upon said yieldable material to smooth the surface of the same.

3. As an article of manufacture an athletic implement having a handle grip applied thereto, of leather capable of being smothed down to eliminate irregularities and a pellicular coating contracted on said leather grip and exerting a compressive force thereon to smooth the same.

4. As an article of manufacture, an athletic implement having a hand grip applied thereto of yieldable material with a removable non-adhesive pellicular coating on said yielding material, said pellicular coating being substantially impervious to air and being tightly engaged with said grip whereby to exert a mechanically compressive force upon said yieldable material to smooth the surface of the same, in which said pellicular coating in exerting a mechanically compressive force upon said yieldable material, firmly grasps the surface of the same to form a securely attached removable protective covering forming an effective supplementary grip.

' 5. A method of protecting the grip portion of athletic implements having a yieldable material thereon which consists in applying to said portion a pellicular coating in the undried or unset condition, said coating consisting of a seamless tubular member of regenerated cellulose and having the property of shrinking in the drying or setting of the same, and then permitting the coating to shrink.

6. As an article of manufacture, an athletic implement having a hand grip applied thereto of yieldable material and a removable non-adhesive pellicular coating consisting of a seamless tubular member shrunk in position on said yieldable material.

7. As an article of manufacture, an athletic implement having a hand grip applied thereto of yieldable material and a removable non-adhesive pellicular coating consisting of a seamless tubular member of regenerated cellulose shrunk in position on said yieldable material.

8. As an article of manufacture, an athletic implement having a hand grip applied thereto of a yieldable material and a removable non-adhesive pellicular coating consisting of a seamless tubular member of regenerated cellulose shrunk in position on said yielding member.

LEON F. SALLEY. 

